Beulah
SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. IT WAS different. Jasper had let me go, moved back and said he need to be somewhere and left. Was I not supposed to hug him back? I wasn’t sure. But talking to him about Mom had made me feel vulnerable. Open. I’d shared with him not only Heidi, but now my mom. It had felt good to be held and not feel alone
But he’d all but ran from me.
I had stood there unsure what to think or do for a few minutes, then I’d gone to work cleaning up our breakfast plates.
Putting on my new shoes, I sighed at how good they felt. It was time to leave to see Heidi. I had her to look forward to today. Thinking about Jasper was pointless.
When I was unlocking my car to get inside, Stone pulled into the drive. His black Range Rover was dangerous and expensive—just like him, I assumed. I didn’t wait around to speak to him since he wasn’t one to converse with me. Unless he needed me to do something. Or to warn me to stay in my place.
I quickly put the cupcakes and other treats I’d chosen for Heidi and May in the back seat. Before I could climb inside my car, he was out of his and he stopped me. “Not working today?”
I sighed. As if this was his business. “It’s Sunday. My day off.”
“You got last night off.”
My hand tightened its grip on the door frame. He was so frustrating. He also had to be the angriest most unhappy human I knew. “I didn’t ask for that. I need Sundays though. I visit my sister.”
Stone didn’t seem to care or understand. I wondered if he was this cold with the world. Or was it just me that he hated?
“I’m not your boss.”
“We agree on something,” I replied before I could bite my tongue.
I winced and a tug on the corner of his mouth caused me to pause. In shock. Had he been on the verge of a smile? The scowl he always had was back, and I figured I must have confused his facial expression. I didn’t wait around for more small talk. I got into the car and closed the door. He stood there in his jeans, black T-shirt and sunglasses with his arms crossed over his chest looking like some dark sexy god. That was annoying.
The drive to Among the Spanish Moss was easy. There was never much traffic on Sunday mornings. Walking into the building, I took the plate I had made for the staff there and dropped it off at the front desk.
“Good morning, Beulah. I’ve been looking forward to your visit all morning. We love these treats.” Tammy was about fifty, had three grandchildren, and moved here from Nebraska ten years ago to be near her youngest daughter. She was also one of Heidi’s favorites.
“I added a little extra in there with the cupcakes. Y’all enjoy them,” I told her. “Better go find my girl. She’s ready for cupcakes too I imagine.”
Tammy laughed. “Oh, yes. She’s come by three times already this morning to tell me you were coming with cupcakes.”
“Beulah!” Heidi’s voice rang down the hall.
“Guess she was headed back for her fourth visit,” I said, then waved goodbye to Tammy and headed to meet my sister. Her smile always cheered me up.
“May is in the activity room. We got to get her,” Heidi told me as I reached her. She clapped her hands when she saw the treats I was carrying. “Oh boy! May’s gonna be so happy.”
“Then let’s get her and find a spot for a picnic. We will eat dessert first.”
Heidi giggled with delight. “I love you, Beulah.”
“I love you more.”
She didn’t argue. She was too excited about the picnic and desserts. We collected May from the activity room and made our way outside. Heidi told me all about the game of soccer they played yesterday and how May scored the winning goal. May blushed a lot and then gave me a bashful hug once I put the treats down on the grassy spot under the tree they picked out.
“I missed you,” May said sweetly.
“I missed you too,” I assured her.
May and Heidi both took a cupcake. The cupcakes were pink today, sprinkled with Skittles. Heidi loved Skittles and squealed when she saw them. “It’s like my birthday. But it’s really Vern’s birthday. I should save him a cupcake.”
I didn’t know Vern, but I nodded in agreement.
“You have new shoes,” May noticed. “They’re pretty.”
“Yes, I do. My others were too small.”
May frowned. “My feet stopped growing.”
“They’re supposed to. Mine did too. Those shoes were too little all along.”
She nodded but she didn’t seem convinced.
“Can we play soccer today?” Heidi asked.
“Of course. I want to see May show us some of her fancy footwork.”
May lit up. She was proud of herself.
“Yeah!” Heidi agreed happy to cheer her friend on. “Where is your boyfriend?”
Her question startled me. “My who?”
“Your boyfriend that came this week when I was sick.”
Jasper. “Oh, that’s my boss. Remember? He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Heidi grinned. “He is too. He’s handsome. He smiles at you a lot and he likes to look at you.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. “He does?” I asked.
Heidi nodded, and then she and May giggled. “Beulah has a boyfriend,” they began to sing over and over.
I wouldn’t be able to ever bring Jasper back. Heidi would be sure to mention this to him. I just laughed at their silliness and ate another cupcake. The warm sunshine had a cool breeze that made it a perfect day to enjoy outdoors.
Momma would have loved today. She always took us outside to spend our Sundays. Picnics and treats. She’d be happy Heidi lived here, and that Heidi had a place where she fit. Where she had friends. I was thankful I was going to be able to keep her here. This was a life for Heidi. One where she fit in and she had security.
“I wish you were here, Momma,” I whispered before getting up and following the girls out to the open field where the soccer nets were. They were inviting others to play and the excitement of the game was obvious.
My weirdness with Jasper was soon forgotten.
Jasper
THE WHISKEY BOTTLE IN FRONT of me had started out as a way to get my mind off Beulah, and with each glass things became clearer. Now I’d almost had a fifth of whiskey and I knew I was drunk. I should go to my bedroom to sleep it off, but I didn’t. I waited for her. I had to see her and explain about this morning. About how fucking scared I’d been.
Stone had left after we argued again. He said he’d be back in a week and that he had his own shit to deal with. Which I understood. He was running from his father and the Richmond department stores and malls all over the goddamn country that would one day be his. I didn’t know why, but Stone hated the man who would give him his fortune. Just last month, he talked about running off and joining the rodeo circuit, which was a crock of shit. Hilarious, and a crock of shit. He’d grown up much the same way I had, and neither of us was getting on some crazy as hell bull.
I was either more intoxicated than I assumed, or so lost in thought I wasn’t listening, but Beulah entered the room without me realizing it.
“Jasper?” Her voice was unsure. Sweet and kind.
“You’re back. Have a good visit?”
She hesitated. I assumed she saw the whiskey bottle. I sat there with my full glass. “Yes. It was nice. They enjoyed the other treats you told me to take.”